Rocky was accused of pointing a handgun at a former friend, Terell Ephron, during a heated argument, then firing twice in Ephron's direction during a second confrontation. The encounters occurred on November 6 2021.
Ephron said suffered a minor injury when his knuckles were grazed by a bullet.
Rocky's defence attorneys said the weapon involved was a prop gun the artist had used in a music video and only fired blanks. They also said Ephron was the aggressor in the confrontation.
"We want to thank God first," Rocky told reporters outside the court while he stood between Rihanna and his attorney.
"I'm thankful and blessed to be here, to be a free man talking to you all," he said.
Rocky's first and second studio albums, Long. Live. A$AP and At.Long.Last.A$AP, debuted at No 1 in the Billboard 200 pop charts in 2013 and 2015, respectively. His third album, Testing, was released in 2018 and peaked in the top five.
Rihanna was present in court a few times during the trial. She brought the couple's sons RZA, two, and Riot, one, to the court room during closing arguments.
Ephron, who has performed under the stage name A$AP Relli as part of a hip-hop collective that once included the two men, has also filed a civil lawsuit against Rocky.
Los Angeles district attorney Nathan Hochman said his department respected the jury's decision.
He said: "Our office remains committed to seeking accountability for those who break the law, no matter their status or influence."
Reuters
Jury acquits rapper A$AP Rocky in Hollywood gun assault case
Image: Allison Dinner/Pool via REUTERS
A Los Angeles jury on Tuesday found Grammy-nominated rapper A$AP Rocky not guilty of two felony counts of assault with a semi-automatic weapon in a 2021 altercation with another hip-hop artist in Hollywood.
Rocky, the romantic partner of singer Rihanna and father of her two sons, jumped head first into people in the court room after the verdict was read. He hugged supporters as loud cheers filled the court room.
"Thank you all for saving my life," he said to members of the 12-person jury.
Rocky was accused of pointing a handgun at a former friend, Terell Ephron, during a heated argument, then firing twice in Ephron's direction during a second confrontation. The encounters occurred on November 6 2021.
Ephron said suffered a minor injury when his knuckles were grazed by a bullet.
Rocky's defence attorneys said the weapon involved was a prop gun the artist had used in a music video and only fired blanks. They also said Ephron was the aggressor in the confrontation.
"We want to thank God first," Rocky told reporters outside the court while he stood between Rihanna and his attorney.
"I'm thankful and blessed to be here, to be a free man talking to you all," he said.
Rocky's first and second studio albums, Long. Live. A$AP and At.Long.Last.A$AP, debuted at No 1 in the Billboard 200 pop charts in 2013 and 2015, respectively. His third album, Testing, was released in 2018 and peaked in the top five.
Rihanna was present in court a few times during the trial. She brought the couple's sons RZA, two, and Riot, one, to the court room during closing arguments.
Ephron, who has performed under the stage name A$AP Relli as part of a hip-hop collective that once included the two men, has also filed a civil lawsuit against Rocky.
Los Angeles district attorney Nathan Hochman said his department respected the jury's decision.
He said: "Our office remains committed to seeking accountability for those who break the law, no matter their status or influence."
Reuters
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